Program seeks additional funding by 8/1 to continue attracting and retaining nurses.
The South Carolina Nurse Retention Scholarship (SCNRS), the unique initiative launched last year to attract and retain recent BSN and ADN nursing school graduates who continue to work in Beaufort and Jasper Counties, has announced that they have so far raised enough money to provide scholarships for 20-25 nurse graduates to help keep them employed in the local area – with the goal of providing financial assistance through these scholarships to many of the 94 nurses who graduated from our local colleges this year.
The SCNRS is continuing their fundraising efforts for the 2022 year until August 1st — providing scholarships to both BSNs ($12,000) and ADNs ($6,000). In addition, the SCNRS is also expanding to provide needed financial aid – and thanks – to nurses recently employed in Hilton Head and Bluffton.
“Our strong belief, and the reason we have created and expanded the South Carolina Nurse Retention Scholarship, is that if we show our nurses a little love and provide some financial support, most will decide to stay,” said Bob Elliott, co-founder of the SCNRS. “With every nurse estimated to treat an average of 8,000 – 10,000 patients a year, being able to play a part in keeping so many nurses working here in Beaufort and Jasper Counties will have a tremendous positive impact on local healthcare services and patient care, and we’re hoping to raise as much money as we can in the weeks ahead to keep as many nurses as possible in our communities.”
The South Carolina Nurse Retention Scholarship was created to address the growing nursing shortage in Beaufort/Jasper Counties, where the need for nurses is critical and is putting the health and wellness of the Lowcountry at risk. As the first and only program in South Carolina and Beaufort/Jasper Counties offering a “post-graduation scholarship” in return for a work commitment, the SCNRS has already made a tremendous positive impact in helping to retain nurses in the local area — raising $248,000 so far, and is seeking to continue to raise funds to provide scholarships to help retain nurses in the area to fill the hundreds of open jobs that are currently available.
In September 2021, the SCNRS awarded the first four scholarships to nursing school graduates committing to working in Beaufort County after graduation. In recent months, the SCNRS has made a number of exciting changes to the program to accelerate their efforts to have a larger and more immediate impact on the nurse shortage. The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry and several individuals provided initial funds to award these first four scholarships, with continued additional broad donor support from individuals, government, foundations and charitable groups.
To donate to the SCNRS before August 1st and be part of this important initiative, visit www.scnurseretention.org.
